Clackamas County's sheriff race remained too close to call this week, with interim Sheriff James Rhodes holding a narrow lead over Undersheriff Brad O'Neil in early returns from Tuesday's election. The two men, both longtime veterans of the sheriff's office, are vying to lead an agency that lost its elected sheriff mid-term and is still grappling with a funding shortfall after voters rejected a levy measure.
As of 8 p.m. on Election Day, Rhodes had earned 52% of the vote compared with 48% for O'Neil, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive. A separate tally reported by The Outlook showed Rhodes with 65,521 votes, or 51.97%, to O'Neil's 60,180 votes, or 47.73%. The sheriff position appeared on the November 3 ballot for a four-year term, according to Clackamas County, which says final certification of the results will occur no later than November 30.
If the early returns hold, Rhodes would finish the remainder of former Sheriff Angela Brandenburg's term, per Oregon Public Broadcasting. Brandenburg retired from the sheriff's office over the summer with two years still left on her term, and county commissioners voted in July to appoint Rhodes as interim sheriff, bringing him out of retirement to fill the role.
Two Veterans, Two Different Paths to the Job
Rhodes worked at various ranks within the sheriff's office from 1997 until retiring in 2021, a span of about 24 years, OPB's October profile of the race noted. O'Neil has worked at the sheriff's office since 1999 and has served as undersheriff for the past two years, the same report said. Rhodes drew the backing of the union representing rank-and-file deputies and corrections officers, while O'Neil won endorsements from the two most recent former sheriffs, including Craig Roberts, who served as sheriff for 15 years before Brandenburg.
Money flowed unevenly between the two campaigns. As of October 8, Rhodes had raised more than $95,000 compared with O'Neil's $37,000, the OPB report found. By Election Day, OregonLive reported Rhodes had raised $102,000 and loaned his campaign another $40,000, while O'Neil had raised about $62,000, including roughly $23,000 in in-kind donations.
A Budget Gap Awaits Whoever Wins
Whichever man ultimately wins the race will inherit an agency short on money. Clackamas County voters rejected a measure in May to renew and increase the public safety levy, with OPB reporting the margin at 62 to 38. Funding for 17% of the sheriff's office's essential services is tied to that levy, the county has said, and both candidates named the lack of sustainable funding as the biggest safety issue facing the county, according to the same OPB report.
Funding was set to expire at the end of June 2027, and any renewal would need voter approval before July 2027 to avoid a funding disruption for the 2027–2028 fiscal year. The county has said it intends to bring an updated levy proposal back to voters in May 2027, and both candidates told OPB that passing that measure would be a top priority if elected.
County Widens Outreach Ahead of a New Levy Push
Clackamas County says it has expanded efforts to engage residents and stakeholders while shaping the new proposal, including an online survey and plans for polling, a town hall, and a community-engagement committee, according to the county's October announcement. The same worksheet laid out a tight legal runway for getting a measure on the ballot, listing February 26, 2027, as the deadline to file a ballot title and March 18, 2027, as the deadline for ballot materials.
The worksheet also noted that Oregon property-tax measures appearing on March or August ballots require a so-called double majority — approval by a majority of voters in an election where a majority of registered voters actually turned out. That rule does not apply to the May ballot the county is targeting, but it underscores how narrow the path can be for local tax measures in Oregon.
For now, the sheriff's race itself remains unresolved, with unofficial returns still awaiting final certification. Whoever is ultimately certified as the winner will take over an office still adjusting to a leadership change it did not expect and a budget question it has not yet solved.
